The present invention relates to a one-piece post anchor for securing an upright post to a support structure such as flooring. Anchor brackets for supporting posts in an upright position are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,982 to Gilb; U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,395 to Reed and U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,982 to Hiesberger. All of these devices use an xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d-shaped bracket having one leg secured to the post, and the other leg secured to the flooring or support structure.
The present invention is an improvement over known devices for anchoring posts to support structures. The present invention is of a one-piece design and easy to use. The present invention provides supporting side members which are positioned to form a narrow opening at the top for receiving a post and a wider base area at the bottom for resting on the support surface. The cross-sectional area of the base is larger than the cross-sectional area of the narrow opening at the top. The side members are shaped to resist transverse forces applied to the post. Further, the present invention is lightweight, being constructed of injected molded plastic and includes support flanges mounted to the side walls providing structural support and at the same time eliminating the necessity of solid plastic construction.
The present invention includes a one-piece post anchor for securing a post to a support structure including four identically shaped side members, each member comprising a curvilinear planar member having a concave shape extending from a top edge outwardly to a bottom edge. The four side members are positioned in a rectangular pattern with the top edges forming a rectangular opening, and the bottom edges forming a rectangularly-shaped base. The base has a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the rectangular opening. Further, four identically shaped interior members, each having a rectangular planar shape, are positioned in a rectangular pattern within the rectangular opening to form a rectangular channel open at both ends through the post anchor. A plurality of support flanges are fastened to each interior member and corresponding side member for additional structural support. Further, each side member includes at least one opening therethrough for receiving a wood screw for securing the post anchor to the post received by the channel, and at least one opening therethrough for receiving a wood screw for securing the post anchor to the support structure.